THE ART OF GENEROSITY

THE ART OF GENEROSITY

"One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.  A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed" -Proverbs 11:24-25 (NIV)

Once upon a time, a greedy, rich man hired a great mathematician. The rich man wanted the mathematician to find the best way for him to make the greatest profit in everything he did. The rich man was building a huge safe and his greatest dream was to fill it with gold and jewels. The mathematician was shut away for months in his study, before finally believing he had found the solution. But he soon found there were some errors in his calculations and he started all over again. One night he appeared at the rich man’s house, with a big smile on his face: “I found it!” he said, “My calculations are perfect.”

The rich man was going on a long journey the next day, and didn’t have time to listen. He promised the mathematician he would pay him double his wages if he would take charge of the business while he was away and put the new formular into practice. Excited by his new discovery, the mathematician was delighted to accept. When the rich man returned, months later, he found that all of his possessions had gone. Furious, he went to ask for an explanation from the mathematician. The mathematician calmly told him what he had done. He had given everything away to people.

The rich man couldn’t believe it, but the mathematician explained it. “For months, I analysed how a rich man could gain the maximum benefit, but what I could do was always limited. There’s a limit to how much one man can do by himself. Then I understood that the key was that many people could help us to achieve the aim. So the conclusion was that helping others was the best way to get more and more people to benefit us.” Disappointed and furious, the greedy man stormed off, desperate at having lost everything to the harebrained schemes of a madman.

However, while he was walking away disconsolately, several neighbours ran over, worried about him. All of them had been helped when the mathematician shared out the rich man’s fortune. They felt so grateful to him that they offered him the hospitality of their houses and anything special the rich man might need. Over the next few days, he saw the full result of what the mathematician had calculated. Wherever he went, he was received with great honour, and everyone was willing to help him in whatever way they could. He realised that his not having anything had given him very much more.

In this way, he managed to quickly set up flourishing businesses, but this time he followed the brilliant mathematician’s advice. No longer did he keep his riches in a safe, or anything like it. Instead, he shared out his fortune among a hundred friends, whose hearts he had converted into the safest, most grateful and fruitful safes. 

The above story reinforces one great statement that God inspired the wisest man that ever lived to write in Proverbs 11:24-25 on the art of generosity. According to king Solomon, stinginess is a demon supervising the agenda and exploit of poverty all over the world while generosity unleashes ceaseless flow of blessings upon an individual, organisation or nation.  This deep understanding must have prompted God himself to warn the Israelites about guiding their hearts jealousy against the invasion of the demon of stinginess and selfishness (Deuteronomy 11:11-12).

"Give freely and spontaneously. Don’t have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God’s, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors". Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (MSG)

Beloved, in what ways has God blessed you? In what ways are you tightfisted about sharing what you have? When was the last time you helped the needy around you? How secured are those many huge safes you have built up for yourself and your household? Has anyone ever helped you along the way? Who are those generous people that God sent to you? What have you learned from them? Do you even desire to be like them? What did you learn about money, generosity and stinginess from your parents? Were these good or bad lessons? What will your children learn from you? Before you attempt to answer these questions,  please meditate on this thought provoking poem below:

THING GOD WILL NOT ASK (Author Unknown)

God won't ask what kind of car you drove;
He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

God won't ask the square footage of your house;
He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet;
He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

God won't ask what your highest salary was;
He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

God won't ask what your job title was;
He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of our ability.

God won't ask how many friends you had;
He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived;
He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin;
He'll ask about the content of your character.

God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation;
He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven and not to the gates of Hell.

Dear friend, I hope you now have an idea of the questions that God will ask you when you finally reach the golden shore. So, If Jesus Christ returns today, are you sure you will not be a big disappointment to Heaven? Please examine your heart closely and be ready to do the needful going forward. But if you are not born again or you are a backslider, the gates of Hell is beckoning at you. And in order to escape the horrible pains in Hell, you must embrace the gift of salvation that Jesus Christ bought for us with His precious blood. Please do it now since there is no repentance in the grave (Hebrews 9:27). A word is enough for the wise

"Every person must die once. After death, God will judge each person" - Hebrews 9:27 (EASY) 

On behalf of my esteemed father in the Lord, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God,  Pastor E. A. Adeboye, I will like to invite you to the 2019 Holy Ghost Congress. Theme: THE GREAT TURNAROUND. Date: December 9th - 14th, 2019. Venue: The Redemption Camp, Km 46 Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, Nigeria.  Ministering: Our beloved Daddy G.O - Pastor E.A Adeboye and other anointed Ministers of God.

Also, please join us for our year-end Worship and Prophetic Prayer sessions tagged " The Unusual". Venue: RCCG,  Agape Parish, Virginrose Resort,  Plot 1231a, Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island,  Lagos,  Nigeria. Date: November 22nd to December 20th, 2019 (Monday to Friday only) .Time: 6:45am to 7:45am. 

Good morning, Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year in advance.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

For more articles, please visit :-
http:// okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com
Twitter: @tammytaiwo
Instagram: @lawontaiwo
Facebook: Okanlawon Taiwo